A relatively new concept is an important idea

Another type of justification is context, in which the organization asks its publics to look at it from our side. Robin Hood seen from the point of view of the sheriff of Nottingham looks much different than from the perspective of the Nottingham peasants. In doing so, the company, which already enjoyed a good reputation, emerged from the crisis with even more consumer respect and confidence. By highlighting the characteristics or values related to an issue, comparisons can liken it to something else the audience might understand. Proactive action strategies include the enhancement of organizational performance, audience participation and special events, development of alliances and coalitions, sponsorships and sometimes activism. A relatively new concept is an important idea in developing a proactive public relations communication strategy. (See Appendix B: Ethical Standards.) Nonverbal communication occurs through actions and cues other than words that carry meaning.

The formal term for this is saliency of the information-the degree to which information is perceived as being applicable or useful to the audience. Accounts can range from defensive to offensive. It is never a good idea to conduct research simply so it can be used for publicity. It helps an organization settle the issue early or divert it, or perhaps even prevent its emergence. A good healthcare communications agency excels at creating strategic campaigns and raising public awareness.

Corporate logos are special kinds of symbols, which visually identify businesses, nonprofit organizations and other groups. It happened in New York City with the attack on the World Trade Center. Common sense, right? For breaking news and sometimes for story ideas, some public relations practitioners make telephone contact with reporters. A strong strategy to be used only after careful consideration of the pros and cons, activism offers many opportunities for organizations to present their messages and enhance their relationship with key publics, particularly their members and sympathizers. A freelance medical writer has a good passion and understanding for PR.

In public health and safety campaigns, agencies try to persuade young people to stop smoking, motorists to start wearing seatbelts and middle-aged people to get more exercise. Public relations and marketing are distinct yet overlapping fields. Several years ago the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), the denominational leadership of Reform Judaism in the United States, wanted to strengthen bonds with Reform Jews around the country (The Lives We Touch, 1992). However, Strategic Planning for Public Relations uses the publics-before-objectives order for three reasons: (1) the first two steps in the planning process have already helped you identify the focus for your planning; (2) publics exist in a relationship with an organization even prior to any objectives for impacting that relationship; and (3) objectives are relevant only when they link an organization's goals with a particular public. This is especially true with less-sophisticated audiences, as well as for audiences that are less knowledgeable or less personally involved in the issue. A pr freelancer provides you with diverse and effective PR support to ensure your message gets heard every time.

Occasionally strategic inaction—that is, silence—is an appropriate public relations response, a strategy of patience and composure. Sometimes an analysis of the publics will reveal that you simply need more information to take you beyond the insufficient common knowledge. To the contrary, newspaper and television news reports can extend an organization's message to vast audiences. An example of this is a mayor who excuses his city's slow progress in snow removal on unusually heavy snowfall during a two-week period. Even in crisis situations, obstacles can be approached as opportunities-if the problem was not self-inflicted. A healthcare pr agency is a job market that is currently flourishing.

Those publics that provide input to the organization are called producers. Objectives are challenging. A major part of developing an effective communication campaign is to identify the appropriate specific publics, called key publics or strategic publics.